Author: The Associated Press

Gun Fires at Milwaukee Catholic School, Student Injured

The Employee who Brought the gun has Been Fired

(courtesy: Fox 6)MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Catholic school employee in Milwaukee could face charges after a gun accidentally fired and injured a student. The gunshot at St. Josaphat Parish school grazed a 10-year-old student more than two weeks ago. Milwaukee police say they weren’t notified by the school until last week. Parents of students at the school received a…

Minnesota Conservation Officer Thrown From Boat, Dies

(courtesy: odmp.org)PINE CITY, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer died after being thrown from a boat while responding to a call about a possible body in a lake near Pine City. Minnesota Public Radio News reports the officer has been identified as Eugene Wynn. He’d been a conservation officer since 2001. Wynn was…

Wisconsin Woman Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges

MILWAUKEE (AP) – A Wisconsin mother of seven has agreed to plead guilty to trying to plan terrorist attacks on behalf of the Islamic State by distributing information on making explosives and biological weapons. Federal prosecutors said they’ll hold a news conference Monday to discuss the case of Waheba Issa Dais. She initially pleaded not guilty to two counts of…

Two Injured After Shots Fired Into Crowded Minnesota Garage

Police say There is no Danger to the Public

AUSTIN, Minn. (AP) – Police in Minnesota are investigating who fired at least a dozen shots into a crowded garage where a family was playing dominoes and having a barbecue in Austin. Austin police say a 32-year-old woman and a 37-year-old woman suffered injuries on their legs, but their relatives say they are recovering. The Post-Bulletin reported that no one…

Medicare, Social Security Face Shaky Fiscal Futures

WASHINGTON (AP) — The financial condition of the government’s bedrock retirement programs for middle- and working-class Americans remains shaky, with Medicare pointed toward insolvency by 2026, according to a report Monday by the government’s overseers of Medicare and Social Security. It paints a sobering picture of the programs, though it’s relatively unchanged from last year’s update. Social Security would become…

Van Explodes Outside Bombed Sri Lanka Church

COLOMBO (AP) – Terror continues in Sri Lanka Monday after a van explodes outside the same church targeted in yesterday’s deadly Easter attacks. A Sri Lankan television crew captured the moments the minivan exploded outside Saint Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo. Monday’s explosion came after police found more bombs in the van and tried to de-fuse them. No one was injured…

Wisconsin Investigating Poisonings of Pets, Wild Animals

(Courtesy: WLUK via Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources)MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Authorities are investigating a series of animal poisonings in northern Wisconsin that have killed three family dogs and several wild animals since December. State officials say the dog deaths happened in Bayfield, Marinette and Florence counties and investigators are conducting lab tests to determine the type of poison used….

Baby, Toddler, man Found Dead in NE Wisconsin Home

Police Were Called to the Home for a Domestic Disturbance

SEYMOUR, Wis. (AP) – A man and two young children have been found dead in a home in the northeastern Wisconsin community of Seymour. Police were called to the home for a domestic disturbance about 11:30 p.m. Thursday. When they were unable to make contact with anyone inside, the SWAT team was called to the scene. Neighbors were evacuated. WLUK-TV…

Biden Expected to Launch Presidential Campaign Next Week

WASHINGTON (AP) – Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce he’s running for president next week. That’s according to three people with knowledge of Biden’s plans. Biden will enter the race as a Democratic front-runner, although the 76-year-old faces questions about his age and whether his more moderate record fits with a party that has become more liberal….

Researchers: Virus Linked to Polio-Like Illness

Minnesota had 10 of the 228 AFM Cases in 2018

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say a virus appears to be the cause of a polio-like illness that caused paralyzing symptoms in some Minnesota children last fall, including one girl who remains hospitalized after losing all motor function. The researchers say they found Enterovirus-D68 in the spinal…

Fiat Chrysler Recalls Over 300K Cars due to Rollaway Risk

The Recall is Expected to Start May 31

DETROIT (AP) — Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 300,000 vehicles in North America because a transmission problem could cause them to roll away unexpectedly. The recall covers Dodge Dart compact cars from 2013 through 2016 with six-speed automatic transmissions. The company says a bushing can fail, causing the shifter cable to come loose from the transmission. That means when…

IRRRB’s Quick Hiring Of Joe Radinovich For $100K Raises Questions

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he’ll tighten hiring rules after a prominent Iron Range Democrat was hired for a civil service job without going through the normal hiring process. The Star Tribune reports that Walz’s move comes after Joe Radinovich, a former state legislator, was fast-tracked for a job at the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board….

Marijuana Advocates Trying Again for Wisconsin Legalization

Rep. Melissa Sargent and Other Supporters on Thursday Unveiled the Latest Proposal

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Marijuana advocates have high hopes that a proposal to legalize pot in Wisconsin has a better chance of success than ever given growing public support. Democratic state Rep. Melissa Sargent and other supporters on Thursday unveiled the latest proposal to fully legalize marijuana in Wisconsin. It comes after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called for legalizing medical…

Mueller Report: Evidence Not Sufficient to Establish the President Committed an Offense

Attorney General William Barr says President Donald Trump did not exert executive privilege over any information included in special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

UPDATE: Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report includes President Donald Trump’s written responses submitted in the Russia probe. Trump’s responses are being released by Attorney General William Barr without redactions and comprise 12 pages. Trump told Mueller he had no recollection of several key events in Mueller’s probe, including a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between top aides and a Russian…

Wisconsin Senator Proposes Tougher Asylum Requirements

Johnson Wants to Toughen the Initial Standard for Asylum Seekers

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson says he is working on legislation to help stem the flow of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson wants to toughen the initial standard for asylum seekers to “more than a probable chance” they’ll experience violence or persecution in their home countries. Right now, if people can demonstrate “credible fear,” they’re…

Update: Young Woman `Infatuated’ With Columbine is Found Dead

(Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office via AP) UPDATE: (AP) – Authorities say the young Florida woman who was allegedly obsessed with the Columbine shooting is dead. Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader told reporters Wednesday that the FBI found Sol Pais dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The FBI had said that Sol Pais, flew to Colorado on Monday night and…

Bill Targeting Step Therapy Drug Process up for Hearing

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A bipartisan proposal designed to protect patients and make it easier for them to get needed prescription drugs was up for a public hearing in the Wisconsin Legislature. The measure has broad support from health care providers and people with chronic diseases. It’s modeled after laws in 18 other states setting protocols for so-called step therapy….

Official: Jayme Closs’ Kidnapper Not Cooperating on Sentence

Authorities say a Wisconsin man who pleaded guilty to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents is refusing to cooperate in his presentence investigation.

BARRON, Wis.-Authorities say a Wisconsin man who pleaded guilty to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents is refusing to cooperate in his presentence investigation. The Green Bay Press-Gazette reports that a probation and parole agent filed a one-paragraph letter Monday telling a Barron County Circuit Court judge that Jake Patterson stated he was advised by his lawyer not…

Kaul, Lawmakers Propose Uniform Rape kit Testing Protocol

The Bill has Support From Both Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul is joining with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in support of a bill that would create uniform procedure for the processing and collection of sexual assault kits. Kaul and lawmakers on Tuesday announced the bill that’s designed to prevent a future testing backlog. The bill establishes requirements and timelines for…

Minnesota Cop’s Trial Raises Questions About Code of Silence

Prosecutors Say Many Officers Refused to Provide Statements

(Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP)MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Testimony in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman has raised questions about whether officers were trying to protect one of their own. The incident commander turned her body camera off when talking to Mohamed Noor after the July 2017 shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond….

DNR Secretary Questions why State Won’t ban Baiting, Feeding

Scientists Believe Baiting and Feeding can Lead to Disease Spreading

(DNR) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Department of Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole says he doesn’t understand why baiting and feeding deer is still allowed in Wisconsin given the spread of chronic wasting disease. State law bans baiting and feeding in infected counties for 36 months and for 24 months in neighboring counties. If another deer tests positive during that span,…

Four Injured, Including Children, in School bus Crash

The Crash Remains Under Investigation

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) – Police say two children were among those injured when a SUV driver ran a red light and crashed into a school bus in Brooklyn Park. Deputy Chief Mark Bruley says the children and drivers of both vehicles were taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The bus was headed to Athlos Leadership…

Walz Names new IT Commissioner, Filling Last Cabinet Post

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Tim Walz announced Tarek Tomes as the incoming Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services. The governor held a news conference Tuesday morning to announce the new head of Minnesota IT Services, also known as MNIT, the state agency responsible for information technology systems across all executive branch departments. “As a recognized industry leader and experienced public…

Complaint: Man Went to Mall of America Intending to Kill

(Bloomington Police Department) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The man charged with throwing a 5-year-old boy off a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America told police he was angry at being rejected by women at the Minnesota mall and was “looking for someone to kill” when he went there last week, according to a criminal complaint Monday. Emmanuel Aranda, 24, of…

Watch: Trump Spends America’s tax Filing day in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – President Donald Trump is spending America’s tax filing day in Minnesota. Trump arrived in Minneapolis on Monday and was headed to a trucking company in the suburb of Burnsville to host a roundtable discussion on the economy. The president says the economy is doing well. He also says a package of corporate and individual tax cuts he…

Justice Department Expects to Release Russia Report Thursday

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department expects to make special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the Russia investigation public on Thursday morning. Spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Monday the redacted report will be sent to Congress and made available to the public Thursday. Mueller officially concluded his investigation late last month and submitted a nearly 400-page report to Attorney General William…

Fire Breaks out at top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Police say Fire Potentially Linked to Renovation Work

UPDATE: The soaring spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has collapsed in flames, and a church spokesman says the entire wooden interior of the 12th century landmark is burning and likely to be destroyed. A massive fire engulfed the roof of the cathedral in the heart of the French capital on Monday afternoon as Parisians watched in horror. Notre…

Minnesota Students Paid $620K in TCF Bank Card Fees

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — TCF Bank made more than $620,000 in card fees from University of Minnesota students on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses last school year, according to a consumer advocacy group’s report. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group released a study last week that found 44% of the university’s students have TCF bank accounts, Minnesota Daily reported. University…

Trump Using Tax Day Visit to Minnesota to Tout 2017 tax Cuts

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – President Donald Trump is using Tax Day on Monday to visit Minnesota, a state he nearly won in 2016 and would like to flip in 2020. But questions remain about how much Trump is benefiting politically from the federal tax overhaul, his signature legislative accomplishment. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll last week showed that most…

Teenager Arrested in two Deaths at Eastern Wisconsin Home

Authorities Have not Released the Victims' Names

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Police have arrested a high school junior in the killing of two people at a home in eastern Wisconsin. Police officers found the victims at the house in Grand Chute during a welfare check Sunday. The 17-year-old boy was arrested at the home. The teen is being held at the Outagamie County Jail on suspicion of…

Minnesota Businessman Suspected of Killing Wife, Then Self

(Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)ORONO, Minn. (AP) – A prominent businessman who once held a stake in the Minnesota Vikings apparently fatally shot his wife before killing himself. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner issued a report Friday that concluded 77-year-old Alexandra Light Jacobs died of multiple gunshot wounds. The medical examiner says 77-year-old Irwin Lawrence Jacobs died of multiple self-inflicted…

Walz Signs Bill Requiring Drivers to use Hands-Free Phones

The Law Bars Motorists From holding and Using Cellphones While Driving

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz has signed a bill that will require motorists to use hands-free devices to talk on the phone while driving on Minnesota roads starting Aug. 1. At a signing ceremony Friday, Walz paid tribute to dozens of people surrounding him who lost loved ones in crashes caused by distracted drivers, saying lives will…

Patrol: Minnesota Teen on Cellphone was Driving Nearly 100 mph

The Teen was Still Active on Facetime While Driviing on the Highway

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Authorities say a Minnesota teen was video chatting on her cellphone and driving nearly 100 mph when a state trooper pulled her over on a busy highway near St. Peter. The Star Tribune reports that 18-year-old Theresa Redenius, of Lakeville, is charged with careless driving. The trooper says he could see Redenius was “still on active FaceTime…

Children Confirm Deaths of Minnesota Businessman, Wife

(Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP) ORONO, Minn. (AP) – The children of a one-time part owner of the Minnesota Vikings and his wife have asked for privacy while they grieve their parents’ deaths. Irwin and Alexandra Jacobs’ children confirmed their parents’ deaths in a short statement issued Wednesday through a public relations firm. Authorities haven’t publicly identified the couple but…

US charges Assange With Conspiring with Manning

The U.S. Justice Department has charged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with conspiring with Chelsea Manning to break into a classified government computer.

LONDON-The U.S. Justice Department has charged WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with conspiring with Chelsea Manning to break into a classified government computer. The charge was announced Thursday after Assange was taken into custody in London in connection with a U.S. extradition request, as well as for breaching U.K. bail conditions in 2012. His lawyer has previously said that Assange planned…

Trump to Visit Minnesota on Tax Filing Deadline Day

President Donald Trump will travel to Minnesota on Monday, the April 15 tax filing deadline.

WASHINGTON-President Donald Trump will travel to Minnesota on Monday, the April 15 tax filing deadline. Trump is hoping to win Minnesota in the next election and has been citing tax cuts and his work on trade deals as positives that will help Republicans win in 2020. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed the trip to reporters traveling with the…

Agents Arrest 58 People in Twin Cities sex Trafficking Sting

28 Victims Were Rescued

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota authorities say nearly five dozen people are facing charges for sex trafficking following an undercover operation in several Twin Cities communities. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says 28 victims were rescued from sex trafficking situations, including one minor. The sting was conducted April 4-8. Undercover agents and investigators posed as minors or as…

Trump expected to visit Minneapolis Area Next Week

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is expected to travel to Minnesota on Monday, the April 15 tax filing deadline. Trump is hoping to win Minnesota in the next election and has been citing tax cuts and his work on trade deals as positives that will help Republicans win in 2020. The Federal Aviation Administration sent an…

Standards Board Revokes License of Former Chief

Klein Resigned in May

(courtesy: Fox 9) ST. JOSEPH, Minn. (AP) – The state police standards board has revoked the license of the former police chief in St. Joseph accused of misconduct. Chief Joel Klein was placed on administrative leave in April 2018 and resigned in May. The St. Cloud Times says the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training conducted an investigation…

Police Investigate two Deaths in Orono

Officials say There is no Apparent Risk to Public

ORONO, Minn. (AP) – Police say they’re investigating the deaths of two people at a home in Orono. Authorities say bodies of a male and female were discovered at the home about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Police are being assisted by Hennepin County sheriff’s investigators and the state Crime Lab. Officials say there is no apparent risk to the public in…

Liberal Candidate in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race Concedes

Unofficial Results Showed a Nearly 6,000 Vote Lead

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The liberal candidate in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race has conceded to her conservative rival, deciding against a recount in a contest where the two were separated by just half a percentage point. Lisa Neubauer’s conceded Wednesday to Brian Hagedorn. Unofficial results showed Hagedorn with a nearly 6,000-vote lead after the April 2 election. That didn’t measurably…

Property Taxes Projected to Increase Under Evers’ Budget

The Budget is Expected to Undergo Significant Change in Legislature

MADISON, Wis. – Property taxes on the owner of a median-valued home are projected to increase under Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, but not as much as they would under current law. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau released its estimate for property taxes Tuesday. Under the Evers budget, property taxes are projected to go up 2 percent in 2019 and…